Type-writer or the like.



H MOYA.

TYPE WINTER OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED out. so. 1915.

Patented May 16, 1910.

HIDALGO MOYA, OF NORTH EVINGTON, LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO IMPERIAL I TYPEWRITE-R COMPANY, LIMITED, 01 LEICESTER, ENGLAND.

TYPE-WRITER- OR THE LIKE,

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application filed October 30, 1915. Serial No. 58,784.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIDALGO Mom, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at North Evington, in Leicester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Writers or the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to typewriters or the like and has for its object to provide a compact key-lever mechanism, and is particularly applicable to the well-known Imperial machines. In these machines as at present made, the frame carrying the key-levers and type-bars can be lifted bodily away for the purpose of substituting another having different charupper and lower forwardly directed .at the other end to a support of acters upon it or for renewal purposes, and the key-levers are splayed out from the center of the machine so that they provide a curved key-board. By means of the present invention a straight key-board is obtained I and the key-lever mechanism is still of such character that it can all be mounted on the Imovable frame to come away with the typears.

According to this invention, each typebar is approximately vertical when in the position, of rest, the corresponding key-lever is situated wholly in frontoof the type-bar,

approximately parallel levers are pivotally connected at one end to the key-lever and the mechanism, an arm is rigidly connected to one of these levers, the length of the said arm being greater than that of the lever, and a link which directly connects the said arm to the type-bar. The situation of these parts gives a compact arrangement of key-levers, typebars and the intervening connecting elements, and reduces the number of parts ordinarily employedbetween the key-levers and type-bars.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one method of carrying out this invention :Figure 1 shows diagrammatically in side elevation -a key-lever with its associated parts; Fig. 2 is a front View showing two of the sub-levers, and Fig. 3 is a plan showing two of the lower links for guiding the key-levers.

The same letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawings.

and upwardly inclined when Each key-lever of the machine has a downwardly and forwardly sloping portion A which carries a vertical stem A on which is secured a key A That end of the keylever which is nearest the type-bars extends vertically upward at A and is pivoted at A to one arm B of a sub-lever. The sublevers are pivoted on a horizontal rod C which lies close behind the type-bars D when these are in the position of rest. Each sub-lever is a bell-crank lever, whereof the arm B, already referred to, is forwardly the parts are in the position of rest, in which position they are shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and

a second arm B which is downwardly and forwardly inclined and is longer than the arm B. The arm B is operatively connected with the type-bar D by a wire link D The forward end of each key-lever is pivoted at A to one end of a lever E whose other end is pivoted to a horizontal rod F. Beneath the lever E is a spring E one end of which bears against the lever, the other end being supported in a socket E The rods C and F are mounted in any convenient way on the frame for the key-lever mechanism, which frame in itself constitutes no part of the present invention and therefore need not be described, and similarly the sockets E are carried by some part of the frame.

It will be seen that with the arrangement shown the key-lever is suspended from its supporting frame by the levers E and B and kept normally in the raised position by the spring E When the key A is depressed, the whole key-lever moves in such direction as to be displaced bodily approximately parallel to itself. the sub-lever being swung about the rod C so that it operates the typebar to bring it to the striking position. The positions taken by the various parts when the type-bar is in the full striking position is indicated by chain-lines in Fig. 1.

By this arrangement of key-lever mechanism a straight key-board is obtainable, the lines of the keys being parallel to the rods 0 and F, and although the whole of each keylever is situated in front of its type-bar and is of such length that the key-board is approximately the same distance away from the type-bars as has been the case with prethat a perfectly parallel movement would be imparted to the key-lever, but the tilt Y given by the mechanism, as shown, is very slight.

Each sub-lever B, B is conveniently provided with an ear-piece B which is first bent over parallel to the rod C and then bent back to the rod, as shown at B Fig. 2, so that the rod can pass through the lever and the portion B of the ear-piece whereby a wide bearing is given to the sub-lever; the ear-piece of one lever moreover may be made to serve as the spacing means for properly distancing the next lever, as shown in Fig. 2. The levers E may similarly ,be provided with wide bearings by making them approximately U-shaped and widening out the bend of the U as shown at E, Fig. 3, so that this widened portion affords a double bearing on the rod F and may serve as distancing means between one lever and the next.

All the key-levers are of such length that they can be carried by the levers B and E which are spaced the same distance apart for all of the levers, but the stem A may be placed either in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, or in one or other of the positions indicated by dotted lines in the same figure according to the bank of keys to which the lever isto be allotted. The keys can thus all be stamped out alike and two of the stems A sheared off when applymg it to the machine and also the end of the lever beyond the point of pivoting A may be sheared off when such lever is not to be used for the most forward bank of keys.

Each type-bar has a projection D near its base which cooperates with a bail G, but this arrangement of bail and means for operating it is known and constitutes no part of the present invention.

The type-bars are of course arranged in the arc of a circle as is usual practice, which arrangement is permitted notwithstanding the fact that the sub-levers are arranged along a straight line, as the links D allow the type-bars to be set at an angle to the sub-levers without interfering with the proper operation of the former by the latter. I

This key-lever mechanism affords a remarkably light touch and as the movement is a parallel one, there is no difference of touch experienced in operating the front or the rearmost bank of keys, as the leverage is the same for both.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' 1. In atypewriter the combination of, a type-bar which is approximately vertical when in the position of rest, a key-lever in front of the type-bar, upper and lower forwardly directed approximately parallel levers pivotally connected at one end to the key-lever and at the other end to a support of the mechanism, an arm rigidly connected to one of these levers the length of the said arm being greater than that of the lever, and a link connected to said arm and to the type-bar, substantially as set forth.

2. In a typewriter the combination of, a a type-bar which is approximately vertical when in the position of rest, a key-lever in front of the type-bar, upper and lower forwardly directed approximately parallel. levers pivotally connected at one end to the key-lever and at the other end to a support of the mechanism, a pendent arm rigidly connected to one of these levers, said arm being of greater length than that of the lever, and a link pivotally connected to the free end of the arm and the type-bar near the pivot point of the latter, substantially as set forth.

3. In a typewriter the combination of, a type-bar which is approximately vertical when in the position of rest, a key-lever in front of the type-bar, upper and lower forwardly directed approximately parallel levers pivotally connected at one end to the key-lever and at the other end to a support of the mechanism, the pivotal connection to the support for the upper lever being just in front of the type-bar when in its position of rest, a depending arm rigidly, connected to the upper lever, which arm is of greater length than the lever, and a link connected to the free end of the arm and the type-bar at a point near the pivotal axis of the latter,

substantially as set forth.

4. In a typewriter, the combination of, a type-bar which is approximately vertical when in the position of rest, a key-lever in a support of the mechanism, the pivotal connection to the support for the upper lever being just in front of the type-bar when this is in its position of rest, a depending arm rigidly connected to the said upper lever which arm' is of greater length than the lever, and a link connected to the free end of the arm and the type-bar at a point near the pivotal axis of the latter, substantially as set forth.

5. In a typewriter the combination of, a type-bar which is approximately vertical when in the position of rest, a key-lever in front of the type-bar having a downwardly and forwardly sloping portion approximately parallel to the slope of the banks of keys, upper and lower forwardly directed approximately parallel levers pivotally connected at one end to the key-lever and at the other end to a support for the mechanism, the pivotal connection to the support for the upper lever being just in front of the typebar when in its position of rest, the pivotal connection for the lower lever being in front thereof, a dependin arm rigidly connected to the said upper ever which arm is of greater length than the lever, and a link connected to the free end of this arm and the type-bar at a point near the pivotal axis of the latter, substantially as set forth.

6. In a typewriter the combination of, a type-bar which is approximately vertical when in the position of rest, a key-lever in front of the type-bar and having a forwardly and downwardly sloping portion which is approximately parallel to the slope of the banks of keys, the upper end of such sloping portion having a vertical extension, upper and lower forwardly-directed approximately parallel levers pivotally connected at one end to the key-lever and at the other end to a support of the mechanism the pivotal connection of the upper lever to its support being just in front of the type-bar when this is in the position of rest and its connection to the key-lever being at the top of the vertically extending portion of the key-lever, the pivotal connection of the lower lever to its support being in front of the corresponding connection for the upper lever, the lower lever being pivoted to the sloping portion of the key-lever, a depending arm rigidly connected to the said upper lever-which arm is of greater length than the lever, and a link connected to the free end of this arm and the type-bar at a point near the pivotal axis of the latter, substan tially as set forth.

In a typewriter the combination of, a type-bar which is approximately vertical when in the position of rest, a key-lever in front of the type-bar and having a forwardly and downwardly sloping portion which is parallel to the slope of the banks of keys, the upper end of such sloping portion having a vertical extension, upper and lower forwardly directed approximately parallel levers pivotally, connected at one end to the key-lever and at the other end to a support of the mechanism, the pivotal connection of the upper lever to its support being just in front of the type-bar when of the corresponding connection for the upper lever and approximately on the same level as the pivotal axis of the type-bar, the said lower lever being pivoted to the sloping portion of the key-lever, a depending arm rigidly connected to the said upper lever which arm is of greater length than the lever, and a link connected to the free end of said arm and the type-bar at a point near the pivotal axis of the latter. substantially as set forth.

8. In a typewriter the combination of, a plurality of type-bars, a plurality of keylevers therefor the whole of each key-lever being situated in front of its type-bar and having a part which slopes downwardly and forwardly corresponding to the slope of the banks of keys, a plurality of bell-crank sublevers one arm of each of which is operatively connected to a type-bar and the other arm is pivoted to a corresponding key-lever at a point toward one of its ends, and a lever below-each sub-lever and parallel to the arm thereof which is pivoted to a keylever but situated at a difierentlevel and pivoted at one end to a support of the mechanism and at the other end to a keylever at a point near the opposite end to that at which the sub-lever arm already referred to ispivoted, the said sub-levers being arranged to pivot about a common axis and the levers below the sub-levers being arranged to pivot about a common axis for these levers parallel to the axis for the sublevers, each key-lever moreover having three vertical key-carrying stems projecting from its sloping face any two of which are cut off before the lever is mounted in the machine so that the same levers can be used for any bank of keys in the machine by cutting off the key-carrying stems which are not required for that bank, substantially as set forth.

9. In a typewriter the combination of, a type-bar, a bell-crank sub-lever pivoted at a point which lies close to but in front of the type-bar when the latter is in the position of rest, one of the arms of the said sub-lever being then in such position that it projects forwardly of the machine, means operatively connecting. the other arm with the type-bar, a key-lever having a downwardly and forwardly sloping portion the slope of which corresponds to the slope of the bank of keys, the upper end of 'the said key-lever being pivoted to the forwardlyprojecting arm of the sub-lever, and a lever mounted below the sub-lever and parallel thereto, said lever being pivoted at one end to a support of the mechanism and at the other end to the key-lever so that when the key is struck the key-lever is guided by the said sub-lever arm and the lever in a path which is downward and approximately parallel to itself, substantially as set forth.

10. In a typewriter the combination of, a type-bar, a bell crank sub-lever pivoted at a point which lies close to the ends of the type-bar when in the position of rest, one of the arms of the said sub-lever being then in such position that it projects forwardly with relation to the machine, means operatively connecting the other arm with the type-bar, a key-lever having a downwardly and forwardly sloping portion the slope of which corresponds to the slope of the banks of keys, the upper end of the said key-lever being pivoted to the forwardly-projecting name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HIDALGO MOYA. Witnesses:

ERIC J PILBLAD, FRED. W. DAWSON. 

